Defending 2010 champion Janez Brajkovic (Radioshack) returns, but absent from the start list is last year's runner-up Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank). The Spaniard sits out the race after winning the Giro d'Italia last month.

Im sure Im not alone in thinking that instead of Cadel reacting to attacks, he MUST be the attacker in the mountains if he is to have any hope this year. Take a chance, ride to his threshold, and see what happens just like the Worlds win. Also, he doesnt dominate in the TT the way he did a few years ago. Hr cant rely on a good TT to pull him up the placings any more. C'mon Cadel, show some Gonads! OOGABOOGA!

The Womble wrote:Im sure Im not alone in thinking that instead of Cadel reacting to attacks, he MUST be the attacker in the mountains if he is to have any hope this year. Take a chance, ride to his threshold, and see what happens just like the Worlds win. Also, he doesnt dominate in the TT the way he did a few years ago. Hr cant rely on a good TT to pull him up the placings any more. C'mon Cadel, show some Gonads! OOGABOOGA!

I don't think he has enough in him to get away from Contador or Schleck.

The way Cadel rides (to me anyway) he can push for long periods at his threshold as well as anyone in the peloton. Its the constant brief attacks from his rivals on the first half of the major climbs that break him.The idea would be to go as hard as possible and wait for the rest to simply drop off his wheel or take the chance. He usually sits at the back end of the GC contenders and is the last to respond as a result. Bertie doesnt let someone else dictate the pace on the stages that count

The Womble wrote:Also, he doesnt dominate in the TT the way he did a few years ago. Hr cant rely on a good TT to pull him up the placings any more.

Cadel has never been a dominant ITTer in the way that Fab is and that Lance and Jan were. He is still as he was, a consistent top 10 guy. The only ITT stage he won at the Tour was in 07 when Vino went down. He'll pull back time on all the genuine climbers except Contador.

The Womble wrote:C'mon Cadel, show some Gonads! OOGABOOGA!

He always gives all he's got.

Kenzo wrote:I don't think he has enough in him to get away from Contador or Schleck.

I thought Cadel did well out of the race. I don't think he wants to stand out too early so he doesn't end up being marked from day 1 in TdF. Wiggins was pretty impressive in the way he handled all the attacks and will certainly be a marked man come TdF now. When he finished 4th a few years ago, he was much lower under the radar.The other thing is that you don't want to peak too early for TdF. It's a 3-week race with the most difficult stages at the very end.